In the logging industry generally, and especially in the Western part of the United States, it is common to use particular rigging to haul a plurality of logs at one time to a staging, decking or loading area. To accomplish this a winch or hauling line is provided with a plurality of slidably carried fastening members, commonly called `bunching hooks` or `choker hooks`, each to releasably fasten a choker cable that attaches a log to be transported. A so-called `ender` is provided at the end of a hauling line to maintain the choker hooks on that line and prevent them from moving rearwardly off the end thereof.
This general system of logging rigging has been long used and during that use the system has developed a fair degree of sophistication. Ontologically the original device serving the purpose of a choker hook comprised a simple ring or merely one cable knotted to or about another. Through the evolutionary period of the device it was learned that a choker hook that is slidably carried on a pulling cable and one that may releasably fasten a choker cable was preferable as being of greatest convenience and safety. During the same evolutionary period it similarly was found that a cylindrical ferrule about the end of a choker cable provided the most efficient and simplest means for releasably fastening the cable end to the hook structure. During the course of this development, many and various choker hooks and enders have become known. Such devices today have quite uniformly devolved into a choker hook structure providing an eye for slidable carriage on a hoisting cable with a structurally attached body providing a keyway-type slot to releasably receive and hold the ferruled end of a choker cable. The instant invention provides a new and novel member of this class of device.
An ender provides some structure at the end of a cable to prevent the passage of choker hooks thereover and thusly maintain them on the hauling cable. Originally a simple knot or enlargement at the end of a hauling cable served this purpose, but as the art developed it was found to be more convenient and safer to use a separate structure for this purpose. The instant invention provides an ender structure that is essentially a choker hook with a web in the cable eye to prevent passage of the structure over the ferruled end of a hoisting cable.
For a choker hook to be effective it must allow ready release of a choker cable when there be slack in that cable so as to allow easy detachment of logs either at a loading area or during the course of transit should they become fouled. At the same time this fastening must be sure and certain when the cable be tight to allow appropriate hauling and prevent accidents and injuries to workmen. Choker hooks heretofore known have generally allowed releasable attachment of ferruled choker cables, but none have provided a completely safe fastening system which will prevent accidental dislodgement of a choker cable from a hook during use. My invention provides a hook which requires a motion of the ferruled end of a choker cable in reverse from its normal course to allow unfastening and thusly assures almost certainly that there may be no accidental dislodgement of a choker cable end from the hook. Releasing of the choker cable, however, by deliberate manipulation is as simple and easy as with other choker hooks commonly used in the present day logging arts.
My hook further provides a hoisting cable eye structure that is angled to the axis of a cylindrical body wherein a choker cable is carried to allow ready and appropriate bunching of choker hooks adjacent a hoisting cable end without undo harm to the hoisting cable. The hooks are so configured that one may rest immediately against another with the rearwardmost hook immediately adjacent an ender so as to aid in preventing cable kinking and end wear which not only shortens cable life but also provides substantial risks for accidental injury to logging workers.
My choker hook is of a relatively small, compact nature and of a streamlined configuration to prevent or substantially lessen the probability of catching on structures over which it passes during log transport. The device similarly is of relatively low mass for its strength to provide a device that is quite strong enough to perform its function but yet light enough so as not to be an unnecessary burden to a logger who must continually carry a plurality of the devices to a point of use.
My ender differs from the prior art firstly in using the same essential type of structure as used for the choker hook to reduce costs and still provide an efficient structure. An ordinary choker hook is modified by putting a web in the cable eye to define a smaller hole through which a hoisting cable will slidably pass but its ferruled end will not pass. The web has the additional advantage in that if the ferruled end of a hoisting cable breaks, as it commonly does, that end may be knotted in the field and my ender still used, as the knot may be carried on the surface of the web from where it may readily be removed with a punch or similar device when necessary. Commonly with other enders of the present day if a cable end is knotted to fasten the ender to the end of a hoisting cable, the knotted portion may not be readily removed, especially in the field, and oftentimes it is necessary to transport the structure to a distant shop for removable of the knotted portion of the cable therefrom.
My invention differs from the prior art not in any one of these features per se, but rather in the synergistic combination of all of them that uniquely provide the functions described.